Cui Weijin held his tea cup and spoke slowly.
“I wonder which erudite scholar His Majesty favors. If Princess does not object, I might review the choice on your behalf and see whether they are suitable.”
Princess Ming Zhao looked at his composed, impassive demeanor, pretending ignorance while clearly understanding, and almost laughed.
Her lips curved upward, eyes teasing as they fixed on him. “The person Imperial Father recommended is far away in theory, yet near before my eyes.”
She deliberately drew out the last part, “It is you, Lord Cui Weijin.”
As the final word fell, she calmly studied his reaction, waiting for him to respond.
Cui Weijin’s face remained expressionless, his eyelashes lowered slightly, avoiding her overly eager gaze.
Princess Ming Zhao did not wait for him to refuse. She leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands.
“Since you could teach my brother, guide him to be well-mannered, knowledgeable, and proper in his actions, teaching me should be far easier!”
“Don’t worry, I promise I’ll be much more obedient than my brother. If you tell me to go east, I will not head west; if you tell me to study, I will not slack off. How about that?” she casually swore.
Obedient? Perhaps not.
Cui Weijin remained indifferent. In his mind flashed the scene at the palace banquet—her swinging her legs on the “crowd” seat, and that outrageous remark: “The old sow wearing a bra.”
Meeting Princess Ming Zhao’s gaze, he spoke distantly and politely, “Princess, your favor overwhelms me.”
“The position of Chancellor involves countless affairs. I devote myself fully to daily governance. It would be difficult to spare time to teach Princess.”
“If, by doing so, I impede Princess’s progress, I would be unworthy of forgiveness. I dare not accept such a responsibility.”
After a slight pause, he offered a sincere suggestion:
“Minister Xie—Xie Xing of Chen Prefecture—is learned, morally upright, and well-versed in classics and history, no less than I. Moreover, I observed today in the corridor that Minister Xie and Princess seemed instantly at ease together. Surely he would willingly instruct you thoroughly, which would be mutually beneficial.”
Princess Ming Zhao did not hesitate to refuse. “Xie Xing is fine, but no.”
Her deliberately coy, playful expression slowly faded, replaced by seriousness.
“My teacher can only be you, Cui Weijin. No one else will do.”
Cui Weijin said nothing, quietly watching her.
After a brief exchange of glances, Princess Ming Zhao blinked and tried a secondary approach.
“Lord Cui, it seems Imperial Father intends for me to marry your cousin, Cui Huai?”
She carefully watched his expression. Seeing no change, she continued:
“You’ve seen my temper, Lord Cui. Wild, unrestrained, intolerant of grievance, and utterly incapable of suppressing my anger. If I were ever to marry into the Cui family…”
She tilted her head, eyes bright, issuing a blatant threat.
“With my temper and the little bond I just formed with your cousin, the Cui household would hardly find peace.”
“Lord Cui, tell me, if one day I disturb your household, would you regret…”
“…not agreeing to properly guide me today, lest I grow up unthinking and harm the Qinghe Cui Clan’s century-old reputation?”
Cui Weijin’s gaze sharpened as he looked at Princess Ming Zhao.
Her words were half threat, half bargaining.
After a moment, he spoke, voice unreadable. “How can Princess be so certain she will marry Cui Huai?”
Princess Ming Zhao was momentarily stunned. She had not considered the question deeply, but, teasing him, replied coquettishly:
“If not him, then marry you?”
“……”
Cui Weijin’s calm was shattered. His usually refined, aloof features were overlaid with a layer of frost, his tone displeased.
“Princess!”
“Marriage is no trivial matter!”
“Such frivolous and licentious words invite misunderstanding, damaging Princess’s reputation. Speak cautiously. Never mention it again!”
Princess Ming Zhao found his reaction—so startled yet forcing a stern expression—quite amusing.
She neither argued nor showed fear. “Alright, alright.”
She rose, feigning concession. “It was my fault, I misspoke. Lord Cui, you are magnanimous; do not take offense.”
Turning to the still cold, seated Cui Weijin, she continued clearly:
“However, Lord Cui, my wish to become your student was sincere. Consider it carefully.”
“As long as you don’t agree, I will come to your Ministry of Personnel every day to pester you. Now that my house arrest is over, I have nothing better to do.”
“Oh, and…” She seemed to just remember, raising her now-cold tea cup, tilting her head back to finish the last drop.
“The tea is good. Thanks.”
She opened the office door decisively and left.
Cui Weijin remained seated behind the desk, unmoving for a long time, replaying every word of their conversation in his mind.
Her threats, the “I’ll come pester you every day if you don’t agree” demeanor, and that shocking line: “If not him, then marry you.”
Irritating.
His gaze unconsciously fell on the tea cup she had used, white and delicate, bearing a faint, clear trace of red from her lips.
The red was not deep, but striking against the pure white porcelain, standing out amid the stacks of documents in the office.
He averted his eyes, returning to the papers before him.
Yet the dense writing was unreadable; his eyes still caught that bright red.
Why did this Princess of Lin’an so easily disrupt the composure he prided himself on?
…
Princess Ming Zhao had just stepped over the high threshold and had not yet descended the steps when she collided with a figure ascending toward her.
Both stopped abruptly.
It was Zheng Yingying.
She wore a teal-green ruqun, with a slightly worn pea-green cloak over it, simpler in color than usual.
Their eyes met; both froze for a moment.
Zheng Yingying reacted first, noticing the papers in Princess Ming Zhao’s hands—densely written copies of the palace regulations.
“Ah, so she’s here to submit the copied palace rules.”
Zheng Yingying felt uneasy under her gaze and instinctively moved the papers deeper into her cloak, as if hiding something shameful.
Princess Ming Zhao smiled naturally. “I came to consult Lord Cui on a matter.”
“Second Miss Zheng, instead of quietly reflecting at home, what brings you to the Ministry of Personnel today?”